BYD Launches 1,287-HP Yangwang U7 Electric Sedan, Rivaling Supercars Under $100K
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector
Chinese automaker BYD's luxury sub-brand, Yangwang, has officially entered the high-performance electric sedan segment with a groundbreaking model that rivals supercars in speed and specs—without the stratospheric price tag.
Unveiled this week, the new Yangwang U7 boasts a jaw-dropping 1,287 horsepower, 1,239 lb-ft of torque, and a claimed 0-62 mph time of just 2.9 seconds. The electric sedan is priced at roughly $86,000 at current exchange rates, setting a new benchmark for value in the high-performance EV market.
The U7 achieves its astonishing performance via four individual electric motors, one at each wheel. Despite weighing in at a hefty 6,800 pounds, the car's 167 mph top speed and advanced suspension system suggest it's no slouch in dynamic driving. The vehicle measures 207.3 inches long, putting it in the luxury sedan category.
Powering the U7 is a 135.5 kWh battery, delivering up to 447 miles of range under China's CLTC cycle. Real-world range will likely be lower under the EPA standard. Charging is quick, with the battery able to jump from 30 to 80 percent in under 20 minutes using fast-charging.
For those seeking hybrid flexibility, Yangwang will offer a plug-in hybrid version pairing a 52.4 kWh battery and 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, good for a 621-mile total range.
Inside, the U7 oozes tech and luxury: Nappa leather, massaging seats, individual entertainment screens, rear-seat foldout tables, a mini fridge, and a 23-speaker audio system. The U7 also debuts BYD's DiSus-Z active suspension and God's Eye driver-assist system featuring three lidars and 13 cameras.
Although the U7 will likely remain exclusive to China, its specs make it a powerful statement in the global EV arms race.
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Politico
43 minutes ago
- Politico
Moon over Musk
Presented by The Spotlight The alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk — to borrow a phrase from the space community — has undergone a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Yet amid all the fireworks Thursday from the duo's public meltdown, one area of the space world seems to have a brighter future: the moon mission. Context: Musk, the SpaceX founder and well-known Mars enthusiast, has argued against returning astronauts to the lunar surface. But the stunning forced exit of the billionaire's hand-picked nominee for the top NASA job and Musk's massive rupture with the president has handed moon backers in Congress and industry an opening — and they're seizing it. What's happening, Part I: A ton of major space companies — just not SpaceX — are launching an ad campaign going big on the moon, according to two industry officials granted anonymity to discuss the effort. 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Yahoo
an hour ago
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US Targets Niche Gas That China Can't Replace as Trade War Chip
(Bloomberg) -- The US is using its dominance of a niche petroleum gas as a bargaining chip in its trade war with China. Next Stop: Rancho Cucamonga! ICE Moves to DNA-Test Families Targeted for Deportation with New Contract Where Public Transit Systems Are Bouncing Back Around the World US Housing Agency Vulnerable to Fraud After DOGE Cuts, Documents Warn The Global Struggle to Build Safer Cars America supplies China with almost all of its ethane, a product of the shale boom that's used as a building block for making plastics. But the commerce department is now ordering shippers to apply for export licenses, and has told at least one, Enterprise Products Partners LP, that it intends to withhold permits for three China-bound cargoes. The trade war is throwing a spotlight on how the US and China rely on each other for certain commodities — dependencies that both nations are seeking to leverage as they negotiate terms to resolve their dispute. In this case, America is the world's biggest producer of ethane, which is converted into ethylene for plastics factories, and China is its largest customer. The commerce department has cited risks that petroleum products like ethane could be diverted to the military, copying the playbook deployed by Beijing in justifying restrictions on what it calls dual-use items such as rare earths and other critical minerals. 'Ethane is no longer just a byproduct of shale — it's now a geopolitical weapon,' said Julian Renton, lead analyst covering natural gas liquids at East Daley Analytics. 'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.' America's shale revolution and China's rapid industrialization have coincided this century to create a market where cheap energy byproducts are parlayed into millions of tons of materials used as trash bags and shampoo bottles, car seats and computer keyboards. But companies that prospered from cooperation are now caught in the crossfire of an increasingly antagonistic trade relationship between Washington and Beijing. Chinese firms such as Satellite Chemical Co. operate giant petrochemical plants that process US ethane almost exclusively. US producers like Enterprise Products Partners and Energy Transfer LP rely on exports, almost half of which go to China, to augment sales in their heavily saturated domestic market. Joint Venture Energy Transfer and Satellite formed a joint venture in 2018 to construct a new export terminal on the U.S. Gulf Coast to provide ethane for the Chinese company's plants. It's an example of how infrastructure that facilitates the ethane trade — from specialized terminals and pipelines to expensive tankers purpose-built to carry the fuel — can revolve around long-term relationships between a single buyer and seller, said Renton. The vessels that ship the gas, dubbed Very Large Ethane Carriers, are another case in point. There are about 30 in the world, according to Kpler ship-tracking data, plying dedicated routes. There's not much of a spot market to absorb dislocations in supply or demand, said Renton. 'These aren't oil tankers that can pivot mid-ocean,' he said. At least one VLEC is now idling off the Gulf Coast waiting for its next move, which looks dependent on the US government's approach to licensing. But there's more at stake than the fate of a few cargoes. 'It throws a wrench into multi-billion dollar, multi-decade commercial planning cycles,' said Renton. --With assistance from Sarah Chen. Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Millions of Americans Are Obsessed With This Japanese Barbecue Sauce Is Elon Musk's Political Capital Spent? Trump Considers Deporting Migrants to Rwanda After the UK Decides Not To ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
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US Firms in China Will Stay Put Despite Tariffs, AmCham Says
(Bloomberg) -- Most US companies with operations in China aren't planning to leave the country despite the challenges posed by tariffs, according to a survey late last month by the American Chamber of Commerce in China. Next Stop: Rancho Cucamonga! ICE Moves to DNA-Test Families Targeted for Deportation with New Contract Where Public Transit Systems Are Bouncing Back Around the World US Housing Agency Vulnerable to Fraud After DOGE Cuts, Documents Warn The Global Struggle to Build Safer Cars A 90-day truce reached in Geneva last month is being closely followed by American firms in China, with 21% saying they would shift more production and sales into China if US tariffs go back up, according to the AmCham survey of 112 companies. Another 13% would move production in China to other countries in that scenario, while 41% wouldn't make significant changes, the results showed. AmCham didn't disclose the names or sizes of the companies that responded to the May 23-28 survey. The chamber's members include a wide range of companies — including some of the biggest US brands like Microsoft Corp. and Coca-Cola Co. — but also smaller firms with less than $1 million in global revenue. In another sign of how serious the trade war was at its peak in April to mid-May, about a third of those surveyed said the duties at the time made their operations unprofitable, while 7% said the US tariffs made them consider closing operations in China. Read: Trump, Xi Agree to More Trade Talks as Rare Earths Dispute Cools No respondents said they would shift production back to the US if tariffs jumped back to previous levels, which included 145% rates on many imports from China. About 11% reported seeing contract or order cancellations from local partners and clients after higher levies initially went into effect April 2, the survey found. Washington and Beijing remain in the middle of trade negotiations, talks which appeared to be stalled before a call Thursday night US time between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders agreed to further discussions. Trump's top China envoy David Perdue has also sought to reassure American businesses in China that the countries will maintain commercial ties. The envoy told US business groups on Thursday that the Trump administration is looking for ways to cooperate with China and supports their presence in the country, according to people familiar with the matter. Other highlights from the survey: A majority of US firms said tariffs were increasing costs, though about 27% reported they obtained product exemptions from the Chinese side. However, 4% reported the exemptions were recently removed or denied at customs, highlighting the opacity and confusion at the borders. About 22% of respondents said they have experienced export controls as a form of US government pressure since April 2, compared to 13% of respondents who reported facing Chinese export control pressure since then. About 12% of respondents reported experiencing issues around the export of rare earths. Out of 12 responding companies, five said they and their partners have been unable to export rare earths since May 12, another five said they were in the process of getting the required licenses, and the remaining two said they have been able to export. Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Millions of Americans Are Obsessed With This Japanese Barbecue Sauce Is Elon Musk's Political Capital Spent? Trump Considers Deporting Migrants to Rwanda After the UK Decides Not To ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
